The present invention relates to a protective device worn by construction workers and a method of using the same and, in particular, concerns thigh protectors to be worn by steel workers who are engaged in the task of moving elongate pieces of reinforcing material, such as steel rebar, and depositing these pieces of reinforcing material at various locations on the construction site.
The construction of roads, bridges and buildings are tasks that are very labor intensive. While heavy construction equipment is used to move some structural components, a tremendous amount of the movement and positioning of structural components of the road, bridge or building are moved by hand. One such construction material that is used in almost all large structures is rebar rods. Rebar rods comprise long steel rods that can be between xc2xd to 4 inches in diameter that are positioned in concrete so as to provide reinforcement and additional strength to the structure. Typically, rebar is delivered to a central location on the job site by trucks. However, as the rebar is likely to have to be distributed at many different locations on the job site, individuals, often referred to as rodmen, pick up bundles of rebar and carry them to the location where individual rebar rods are to be installed.
Generally, several rodmen will pick up a bundle of rebar and carry it on their shoulders or suitcase-style at their waistside to the particular location where one or more pieces of rebar are to be installed. Each piece of rebar in a bundle has a diameter of between xc2xd to 4 inches and can be up to 40 or 50 feet long. Hence, each individual rebar rod can be quite heavy and moving a bundle of this rebar is a particularly difficult task. Moreover, it is also difficult to pull a single rebar rod out of the bundle of rebar rods and place it at a particular location on the job site.
Typically, the rodmen carry the bundle of rebar rods on their shoulder walking in a single file line to the particular location. When the rodmen get to the location that is to receive a single rebar rod, the rodmen place one foot forward and crouch at the knees so that their upper thigh is somewhat horizontal. The rodmen, in unison, lift the bundle of rods off of their shoulder onto their thigh. Subsequently, a single rod of rebar is shaken out of the bundle and released by the rodmen so that it slides off of the rodmen""s thighs and lands on the ground. Typically, the rodmen, while still in the crouched position, move backward in unison and then drop another of the rods of rebar at the new location. This process is often repeated until all of the rebar is deposited in a particular area in the construction site. Alternatively, the rodmen can drop a limited number of rebar rods at a particular location and can then return the bundle to their shoulder and move to a new location.
One difficulty that is encountered by rodmen during this process is the rods are so heavy that, when the bundle of rebar is dropped onto the thighs, injuries can result. In fact, each of the rodmen may be dropping a bundle of rebar rods on to their thighs that will weigh several hundred pounds. This can result in bruising of the rodmen""s thighs. Moreover, as the rebar can have razor sharp edges, the rodmen may also receive cuts and puncture wounds. Further, when the single rebar rod is shaken out of the bundle, the single rod generally slides along the rodman""s thigh and then drops towards the ground after it slides over the rodman""s knee. Again, each individual rod can be so heavy that this sliding motion can further result in injuries to the rodman. Moreover, the dropping of the bundle of rods onto the rodman""s thighs and the sliding of a single rod off of the rodman""s thighs generally results in extensive wear and tear to the rodman""s clothing.
Hence, from the foregoing, there is a need for some sort of protective device that can be worn by a rodman that will provide greater protection for the rodman during the process of moving and carrying bundles of rebar. Protective devices for legs have been used in other applications in the past. For example, cowboys have often worn chaps which are leather coverings that extend essentially along the whole length of the leg. However, chaps were designed to protect the full length of the cowboy""s legs and clothing from scrapes and cuts caused by bushes and the like when riding a horse through rough terrain. As chaps are designed to be worn while generally sitting, they are typically very encumbering when walking. Consequently, this type of protective clothing is not very suited for use by rodmen who must be generally unencumbered to perform their other job duties. Sporting manufacturers have developed protective pads that protect the thighs of athletes. For example, football players often wear pants that have pads inserted therein which are designed to reduce thigh injuries. However, these types of protective pads have generally not been adapted for use by construction workers and, in particular, rodmen.
Moreover, the long standing custom in the construction trades is that the construction worker will generally wear only a heavy-duty pair of trousers such as jeans. This longstanding custom is the result of the construction workers and, in particular, rodmen being required to do a significant number of tasks, other than carrying heavy bundles of rebar. These other tasks require that the rodman be generally unencumbered and able to easily move about tight spaces on the job site. Consequently, there has been little effort on the part of the construction industries to adapt protection for use by rodmen that will protect the rodmen from injuries resulting from moving large bundles of rebar but will still allow the rodmen to perform other tasks in an unencumbered fashion.
Hence, there is a continued need for some sort of thigh protector or a method of moving rebar that is specifically adapted for use by rodmen. This thigh protector or method of moving rebar should provide protection against injury and, yet, should not inhibit walking or movement of the rodmen during the performance of their other job duties. To this end, the protective device should be relatively lightweight, form fitting, and able to absorb and distribute the weight of a bundle of rebar when the bundle of rebar is deposited onto the rodman""s thigh.
The aforementioned needs are satisfied by the thigh protector of the present invention which is comprised of a thigh protector made of a first material that is sized so as to cover the thigh of the rodman from the point where the thigh of the rodman meets the groin, downwards to approximately the knee. In one aspect of the invention, the thigh protector includes a narrow piece of reinforcing material that is mounted adjacent the first material at a location selected so that when the bundle of rods are deposited onto the thigh of the rodman the reinforcing material distributes the weight of the rods so as to reduce the likelihood of bruising through the first material.
In one embodiment, the first material is comprised of heavy duty leather and the thigh protector incorporates an attachment mechanism for attaching and securely mounting the thigh protector on the thigh of the rodman. In one embodiment, the attachment mechanism is comprised of a loop that is adapted to fit around the rodman""s belt and elastic material coupled to buckles which buckle around the rodman""s thigh so as to keep the thigh protector centered on the rodman""s thigh. Preferably, the elastic strap is adapted so as to be positioned adjacent the interface between the back of the rodman""s thigh and the butt so that the strap is located adjacent the interface between the inside of the rodman""s thigh and the rodman""s crotch. The positioning of the strap in this location results in the strap remaining stationary during walking movement of the rodman which results in a device that does not encumber or otherwise hinder the freedom of movement of the rodman.
In one embodiment, the reinforcing member is preferably curved so as to fit the contours of the rodman""s thigh. The combination of the curvature of the reinforcing member, the belt loop and the elastic straps keeps the shield member centered on the front of the rodman""s thigh during subsequent movement of the rodman.
In another aspect of the invention, a method of moving bundles of rebar is provided. The method of this aspect of the invention is comprised of a plurality of rodmen walking single file while carrying a bundle of rebar on their shoulder to a first location, then extending a leg forward and bending at the knees so that the upper thigh of a rodman is bent so as to have a component that is parallel to the ground wherein the upper thigh is encased in a thigh protector; dropping the bundle of rebar onto a first location on the thigh protector, wherein the first location of the thigh protector is immediately over a reinforcing material of the thigh protector so that the weight of the rebar is distributed by the reinforcing member; selecting one of the bundle of rebar and removing it from the bundle; and then releasing the selected rebar so that it slides along the thigh protector and drops to the ground.
From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the thigh protector provides increased protection for steel workers and, in particular, rodmen, when carrying bundles of rebar on a job site so as to deposit individual pieces of the bundle of rebar at particular locations. It will also be appreciated that the thigh protector of the present invention is further adapted so as to generally not hinder the movement of the rodmen during the performance of their other duties. For example, the thigh protector is designed so as to be positioned over the thigh so as to not inhibit motion of any of the joints of the wearer. These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.